


Dance with the devil

by Mother of Heathens (chasing_the_wild_dream)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Underworld (Once Upon a Time), alternative universe, lots of flames, swanqueen - Freeform, there will be flames
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasing_the_wild_dream/pseuds/Mother%20of%20Heathens
Summary: Emma's attempts to bring Hook back from the Underworld fail because he isn't her True Love after all.Unfortunately, leaving the Underworld asks for a way bigger sacrifice than Robin Hood.It's only when Emma realizes who they have to leave behind that she begins to understand what has been right in front of her all along.Emma vowes to move heaven and hell if necessary to bring Regina home but she'll learn soon enough that True Love comes with its own challenges and that happiness also has its price.Disclaimer: OUAT and all its characters belong to Adam Horowitz, Eddy Kitsis and ABC.-------------------------------------------A/N: This idea popped into my head while I was listening to music a couple of days ago. I was editing "Take me to Wonderland" at the time.This story will be, obviously, very dark and the rating might change at a later point for one reason or another.Tags will be added as the story progresses and I took the liberty to change the rules of the Underworld a little because the show's arch left a lot to be desired, tbh.Also, this story will be somewhat A/U from here on forward because of that.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 34
Kudos: 53





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Atomicbomb_babe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atomicbomb_babe/gifts).



> I dedicate this story to **Megan**.
> 
> Well, what can I say, little wolf?  
> I told you I'd write you a story and surely I don't need to explain to you what inspired me.  
>   
> They say we find the brightest lights, the sparkliest gems in the darkest of places, and I guess it's true because I found you when I was caught in the darkest corners of my heart and mind.  
> And there you were, from moment to the next, as if you'd never been anywhere else.  
> As is you'd always been there.  
>   
> You've brought the joy back to my life and the laughter and I appreciate it more than words could ever say.  
> Thank you for given my battered and bruised heart a home where it is appreciated.  
>   
> Life might be a challenge right now but as I already said once - soon enough we'll be dancing in our own dark Wonderland.  
> Until then, take this story as my heartfelt gift to you for being who you are.  
> 🖤  
> 

Emma was heading for the portal that was hidden in the broken clocktower of Underbrooke, the others hot on her heels.  
She was so ready to get out of this dark and horrible place.  
They had all suffered enough, dammit!

Their mission to save Hook had been a complete failure because he hadn't even wanted to be saved.  
Regina had tried anyway but it hadn't worked and ultimately he had finished his unfinished business and he had been granted access to Mount Olympus, his deceased wife Milah by his side.

Why had she ever thought she could save him?  
She had sacrificed him to the darkness, to begin with.  
How many times had they tried to break any sort of magical spell or curse with True Love's kiss?  
It had never worked, for heaven's sake!  
How naive had she been, how blind?

They had come for her and she had let everyone down once again.

What was worse was the fact that Regina had lost Robin to the Underworld as well.  
All of them had suffered but no one had paid a higher price than Regina.  
Always Regina.

Emma wasn't sure yet how she would make it up to her but she would find a way.  
She had to.  
She would start as soon as they would be back in Storybrooke.

They finally reached the clocktower and Emma ripped the door open, furious with herself.  
She wasn't even all that sad that she had lost Hook for good.  
Sure, she had been disappointed initially but in the end, she had felt more relieved than heartbroken.

Deep down she must have known that they weren't meant to be together.  
Now that she looked back she saw it clear as day.

She stumbled into the clocktower, only there was no portal.  
What the hell?

Emma rejoined the others who had been patiently waiting for her and looked at them in suspicion, “Would anyone care to tell me what's going on?”

“The boat will bring us back to Storybrooke”, Gold stated as if it would be the most obvious thing.

“We have to steal the Charon's boat again?”, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Why is the portal gone?”

Zelena looked at her with pity, “Because Hades is dead for good. Or don't you remember how Regina had killed him when she had shoved that Olympian crystal into his chest?”

Emma raised her hands in surrender, “Sorry, my bad. I don't know all that much about magic because I did grow up in a land without magic, remember?”

Regina and Henry were awfully quiet and tears were glistening in Mary Margaret's eyes.  
David avoided his gaze altogether.  
What the hell was going on here?

Emma let Gold lead their gang of misfits and fell back to talk to Regina, “So, do we have a plan? I mean how are we going to steal that boat again?”

“We are not going to steal it, Miss Swan. I will summon it.”

What?!

Regina stopped walking, “Emma, there is something I have to tell you.”

Emma took her arm and dragged her with her, not liking the sound of that at all, “Tell me once I am home.”

“Miss Swan”, Regina hissed and pulled her arm away.

It dawned on Emma then that this was serious.  
She watched the others walk ahead for a moment before she turned to look at Regina.

“I won't be coming back with you”, Regina said without warning and Emma's eyes grew wide in disbelief, “Are you kidding me? Why would you stay? Please, tell me you are not sticking around for Robin. He's in Mount Olympus anyway.”

This couldn't be true.  
Regina had to be joking, right?  
She wouldn't abandon Henry like that, now would she?  
They had fought Hades for days, always within a hair's breadth away from the portal when his heart had been restarted, making it impossible for them to flee.

All of their attempts to escape the Underworld had failed until they had found that damn crystal to destroy the immortal ruler of Underbrooke once and for all.  
Zelena was supposed to do it but he had overpowered her and it had been Regina who had taken landed the final blow in the end.  
He had never seen it coming.

“I have no choice”, Regina admitted and sighed in defeat.

Emma took a step closer, “What are you even talking about?”

“I killed Hades, Emma. Which has left the Underworld without a ruler. All the lost souls stuck here need guidance to finish their business and either go to Hell or to Mount Olympus”, Regina stated the obvious, “Hades hasn't done his job in way too long.”

“Then we'll find someone to rule the Underworld in Storybrooke and send them down here. We could always ask Gold, maybe he's up for the task. Either way, we are going home because it's not your job to be the devil now”, Emma countered with conviction and a smile.

That smile faltered as soon as she met Regina's pained eyes, “What? What did I miss?”

“I killed Hades”, Regina replied as if that would explain everything and when Emma didn't react she said, “It's _me_.”

No!  
God, no.  
This couldn't be true.

“Absolutely not!”, Emma started to pace frantically, “I won't allow it. We won't leave you here, Regina. Not this time.”

“You have no choice. The rules of the Underworld can't be broken. There's no loophole, no backdoor.”

“Regina”, Emma's hands were shaking but she covered Regina's anyway, “Please, don't make me leave you here. I can't. You don't deserve this. What am I going to tell Henry?”

“He already knows”, Regina whispered.

“What?! Does everyone know but me? Because I'm too stupid to understand magical rules or what? Why didn't anyone tell me?! I would have never allowed...we would have found another way. Regina, no!”, Emma wanted to pull her hands back but Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's body and held her close.

“Now listen to me, Emma”, she leaned in to whisper straight into Emma's ear, “Don't make this harder than it already is. Henry needs you. And I need you to take care of our son. Gold agreed to open the portal in Storybrooke with his blood every two weeks so you can come to visit. You and Henry. I trust you'll take care of my town for me and I'll take care of things down here. That's how it's going to be from now on. I need to be able to trust you, Emma.”

“Regina, I...”  
Tears were streaming down Emma's face, “I can't leave you here. Not like this. Not alone. You can't ask that of me.”

Regina pulled back and smiled at Emma, even though her gaze was sad and defeated, “Henry needs you.”

Emma shook her head, “He needs you more than he'll ever need me. Mostly, he needs us both.”

“Just come visit when you can and it will be fine”, Regina dropped her hands and stepped back, “You have to go. You've been down here way too long already.”

Emma didn't want to take a single step but she followed Regina anyway.  
The others grew silent as soon as they caught sight of them and Emma turned to face her mother, “Why haven't you told me? Why did none of you stop her?”

There was so much hurt in Emma's voice and she wanted to scream.  
God, she felt so betrayed once more.  
Why?  
Why did it have to be Regina?

Henry walked over to her, tears glistening in his eyes, and she hugged him fiercely.

“We'll have to find a way to bring her back, Emma?”  
  
“Of course, kid. We won't rest before she's back with us. Where she belongs”, Emma agreed.

“Promise?”, he looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

“I promise.”

She saw Mary Margaret and Regina talking to one another once she let go of her son before everyone hugged Regina goodbye, except for Gold, who gave her a respectful nod.  
God, how much she hated that bastard.  
She'd hound him till he would tell her how to get Regina home because there had to be a way.

Henry was clinging to Regina like she was his lifeline.  
It broke Emma's heart and Regina's too from the look of it.

“Emma and I will be back in two weeks but I'll miss you. Maybe we can figure out a way to talk somehow?”

Regina cupped his cheek, “I'll see what I can do.”

When it was Emma's turn at last she crossed her eyes in front of her chest, “I refuse to say goodbye to you. It's not. Goodbye, I mean. I'll figure something out. You won't stay down here, Regina. You have my word. I'll come back for you.”

Regina wanted to argue because she knew better but what good would it do?  
Destroying Emma's last sparkle of hope would achieve nothing.  
It was better this way.  
A determined Emma Swan was a force to be reckoned with and she needed Emma to be strong for Henry.

So, she chuckled, “I count on it, Miss Swan.”

And then Emma pulled her into a hug anyway, “See that you get some sort of communication going down here because there's no way we'll accept radio silence, your majesty.”

Regina nodded and shoved Emma towards the dock before she focused on her magic, calling forth the boat of the Charon, her hand covered in purple flames.  
The Underworld was calling.

She watched everyone climb into the boat, barely able to hold back the tears but it wouldn't do anyone any good to see her cry right now.  
She would have more than enough time for that later.  
\-----------------------------

Everyone was looking at Regina when the boat started to drift away from the dock.  
How she stood there all by herself, purple flames slowly engulfing her body.

Regina didn't seem to be in pain but Emma's heart ached in a way she had never experienced before but it was only when the Charon's boat disappeared around the corner and Regina was out of sight that Emma understood what real devastation felt like.


	2. Personal Hell

Emma was standing in the foyer of the mansion with shaking hands.  
They had arrived back in Storybrooke last night and she hadn't found any rest since then.

Henry had passed out at the loft at some point, worn out by the grief he felt about leaving Regina behind.  
It had broken Emma's heart all over again and when he had woken up in the morning with a smile on his lips, a smile that had lasted all of two seconds before it had vanished only to be replaced by a frown, Emma had been ready to run back to the Underworld to take Regina's place.

Why had no one told her that Regina would have to stay?  
It was unacceptable.  
There had to be a way to bring her back.  
She wouldn't rest before Regina would be back in her mansion with Henry where she belonged.  
Goddammit!

Emma hadn't been able to sleep, hadn't even been able to close her eyes because as soon as she had tried she had seen Regina's defeated eyes.  
They were haunting her ever since she had set foot in the boat of the Charon.

She walked into Regina's study, barely able to keep the tears from falling.  
She felt a devastation, an emptiness, she had never experienced before and Emma was trying to figure out what it meant.  
Why was it so much worse that Regina was caught in the Underworld than that Killian was dead?  
That he had chosen his ex-wife over her when he had been supposed to be her forever?

So, he was gone and she was okay with that.  
She had accepted his decision as soon as she had made it but Regina.  
Regina couldn't stay down there.  
She wouldn't allow it.  
She needed her back.

Emma spotted a picture of Regina and Henry together from way back.  
Long before she had come to Storybrooke.  
Henry must have been around six.  
Regina was looking at him as if he would be her whole world and everyone knew by now that he was.  
He was grinning at her with so much love and adoration and Emma was ready to rip her heart out.

This stubborn woman?  
Why would she do that?  
Why would she give him up again?

Regina had sacrificed so much over the years. She had lost even more.  
Robin only recently.  
And it was Emma's fault. All of it.

How had she ever thought going to the Underworld would end well for them?  
They had followed Hook to Hell and what for?  
Only to lose him and Robin.  
And in a way even Regina.

She had followed that lying moron to the Underworld only for him to ditch her.  
Good god, what had she been thinking?  
Why had she even allowed anyone to join her?

Regina should have never been down there.  
Not ever.  
Neither should have been Henry or her parents.  
Not even Robin Hood and she hadn't particularly cared for the man, Regina's soulmate or not.

Emma ran her fingertips over Regina's face.  
She needed her back.  
She had to find a way.

When she had walked through the streets of Storybrooke earlier she had felt Regina's absence at every corner.  
The town was nothing without Regina.  
She was nothing without Regina.

Despite all the fights they had fought they had become a team, a family.  
They were stronger together and Emma began to realize that she would only be whole with Regina by her side.  
Even when things had been bad between them Regina had always come for her.

In times of need, in moments that had been nothing but dire, Regina had always been the one she had been able to count on, to rely on.  
Regina had been the one to push her, to push her buttons, and had managed to make her a better person in the process.

She couldn't raise Henry by herself while Regina would die a little more on the inside in the Underworld.  
She would find a way to save her.  
It's what they did, wasn't it?

They protected each other, had each other's backs, no matter what.  
Regina had given her new memories and a chance to be with Henry back when the curse had separated them and everyone had returned to the Enchanted Forest.  
Everyone but Emma and Henry.

Emma had become the Dark One for her.  
She hadn't hesitated for a second.  
It had been out of the question that she would allow the darkness to take Regina after Regina had fought so hard to come back to the light.

It had been a decision born from love and Emma would do it again in a heartbeat.  
Protecting Regina had been the only thing that had mattered.  
She hadn't hesitated to drag Killian down with her, right into the darkest abyss there was.s  
She hadn't cared about how much he would suffer as long as Regina was safe.

Unfortunately, that decision had ultimately led to the mess they were in now.  
Why had she not seen it?  
That Killian wasn't the one she should go to Hell and back for.

It was Regina, wasn't it?  
If Emma was really honest it had always been Regina.

Regina meant so much more than Killian and Neal together.  
Regina was everything, meant everything and yet she was here while Regina was stuck in the Underworld.

She would have to talk to Zelena and to Gold.  
And to everyone else who was necessary to right this wrong because there was no way that she would accept this.  
Emma knew that even after all the obstacles they had overcome, this would be different.

This would be their hardest test yet but she was determined to figure it out.  
She would get Regina back.  
For Henry.  
And for herself.  
\-------------------------------

Regina was standing in the home that had belonged to Hades and would now be her own.  
The furniture wasn't so bad but she changed the carpets and curtains to purple as well as the decorations.   
A new bed was magicked into existence together with a new couch in the living room.  
She had considered turning the place into a second mansion but the thought alone had made her sad.  
She had to stay busy and distract herself or she would break down, she knew as much.

The others were barely gone for a day and she already felt as if she would go crazy.  
God, she missed Henry so much.  
And Emma.  
She missed Emma almost as much as her son.

When she had learned that there was only one way to defeat Hades and Zelena had volunteered to stay in the Underworld she had been so relieved but when everything had fallen apart Regina had understood that it had to be her.  
She had to be the one to pay the price so everyone else could go back home and be safe.

Of course, it had to be her.  
Why she hadn't seen it from the beginning was beyond her.  
There was no such thing as a happy ending for her, there never had been.

Maybe they would find a way to communicate so she could talk to Henry here and there.  
And if she was lucky Emma and Henry would come to visit a couple of times, even if it would be that much harder to let go then.

Henry.  
Her precious, precious boy.  
He would grow up to be an extraordinary man, Regina had no doubt about that.  
Emma would make sure about that, she had no doubt about that either.  
She would love him forever and for him, she would endure.  
For him, she would stay here and turn the Underworld into a “better” place.

Hades had ruled without mercy, finding pleasure in tormenting all these lost souls even after their death.  
Regina could understand his thirst for vengeance but in death, people should find peace.  
Or a chance to redeem themselves and save their souls.  
She was aware that some people were beyond saving but she tried to ignore that thought. She would have to face that soon enough.

Regina spotted what she thought was a coin on the floor, only to realize that it was Emma's swan pendant when she picked it up.  
At that moment she finally broke and allowed the tears to fall.

Emma.  
They both had suffered and lost so much.  
Sacrificed even more.  
They had given their all and yet fate had never been on their side.

Emma had always fought for her, even when she had least deserved it.   
Emma had believed in her when no one else would, she had been the one to offer her a chance when no one else had.

Why had Killian chosen his deceased wife when Emma had offered him a life and a future?  
When Emma had stuck with him despite his lies and his betrayal?  
God, what a moron!

She should be by Emma's side, offering comfort and support, instead of being stuck here but there was nothing she could do.  
She had made her choice so the others could go back to their lives before Hades could have killed them all. There was no doubt he would have if they had stayed.

Emma had given up Henry as a newborn to give him his best chance and Regina had given them up both now for the exact same reason.  
There was no way out of this.  
The rules of the Underworld were absolut.

This time there was no saving her.  
There was no curse to be broken by the Savior, no enemy to be fought by either of them.  
There was nothing True Love could do about the situation and not even their combined magic could change her fate.

They had stopped an indestructible trigger back in the day and they had moved the moon together once upon a time but this was different.

It was true what Rumple had always said: magic always came with a price.

But so came True Love.  
True Love had called for more bloodshed than anything else Regina knew.  
Sacrifices had been made, wars had been fought, in the name of love, and in the end, True Love has always been built on a bed of corpses.

And then there was the Underworld.  
Dying came with a price as well.  
One had to pay with their life and then some if they didn't care for drowning in the Acheron where they would disappear into nothingness forever. Or worse, go to the Fiery Cave and burn in Hell for all eternity.

Hades had known no mercy and that had made him the perfect ruler of the Underworld.  
During her days as The Evil Queen, she would have reveled in this but now it would cost her dearly.

It was only when Regina noticed that a new soul had arrived in the Underworld, the soul of a five-year-old girl, that it dawned on her how much it would cost her.  
And just like that Regina was highly aware that she might lose her sanity down here and there was no one to save her.  
Not this time.


	3. Close to madness

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL 3  
//

Emma and Zelena were standing in the pawnshop, staring at Gold expectantly.  
There had to be a way to save Regina.  
There had to.

Emma wouldn't accept anything else, it was really that simple.  
She had feared that she would have to drag Zelena along by the hair but to her big surprise, Regina's sister had come willingly.

“There's nothing we can do, dearies,” Gold replied and he almost looked regretful, “The rules of the Underworld are not negotiable I'm afraid. Breaking them would have severe consequences.”

“There has to be something”, Emma tried again, desperation eating away at her, “Tell me. I don't care about the price. I'll pay any price.”

Gold tilted his head curiously, “Any price?”

Emma met his eyes, determination written all over her face, “Any price.”

“I'll keep looking then”, Gold nodded with satisfaction.

“Is there a bloody chance that we can open a way of communication since Regina is all alone in the Underworld?”, Zelena asked, her voice filled with something that almost sounded like an accusation.

“There might be”, Gold answered, “But it's not that easy and I'm afraid one of your parents will have to return to the Underworld to accomplish that.”

Emma blanched, “What?”

“True Love, dearie”, Gold giggled, “What else? Then Zelena and I might be able to create something here and you and Regina have to work in the Underworld. We need your parents for the link.”

Emma nodded numbly.  
She couldn't ask that of them.  
Not again.  
\----------------------------------------

Regina hit the mirror with her bare fist, sending shards flying everywhere.  
She screamed in fury and frustration.  
She screamed out of helplessness and because she was on the brink of insanity.

The darkness that surrounded her taunted her in all the wrong ways and the isolation was even worse.  
She had spent the last two days watching souls end up in the Fiery Cave, in the darkest corners of hell, where they would burn for all eternity with no way out.

One child had stumbled right into the Acheron, scared beyond words, before Regina had been able to stop him.  
The darkness had started to whisper to her, tempting her like it had tempted her back in her days as The Evil Queen and Regina was trying, with all her might, to fight it because she couldn't surrender.  
Not again.

If only she could talk to Henry.  
To her precious, precious boy.  
If only she could see him.

And Emma.  
If only she could look into those sparkling green eyes.  
She'd give anything.  
Henry was her hope but Emma, Emma was her light.

Regina had tried to get her mirror to work, to find an enchantment that would allow her to communicate with her family on the surface, back home in Storybrooke, but to no avail.  
She was stuck in this hell all alone.  
\---------------------------------

Henry was sitting in his room, studying his fairytale book.  
There were so many new stories he hadn't had the chance to read before as the book kept growing with their every adventure.  
There had to be something about the Underworld.

Something they could use, something that would help.

He was staying at the mansion, together with Emma, to feel closer to his mom.   
Henry was nowhere near ready to grasp what all of this could mean if they wouldn't find a way to bring Regina back to Storybrooke.  
He would never accept defeat, to begin with.

He had the heart.  
The heart of the one who believed when everyone else was in doubt and he was determined to save the woman he owed everything.  
He might not have shown his love for Regina all the time and there had been moments he had hated her more than he had loved her but at the end of the day, no matter how much he loved Emma, Regina would always be his mom.  
And he would protect her with everything he had because Henry knew that Regina wouldn't do well on her own.  
Especially not in a place like the Underworld.

There was a knock on his door and Emma's head appeared only seconds later, “Hey kid, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Henry nodded and watched her enter, watched her take a seat next to him with a tentative smile.

“Zelena and I talked to Gold”, Emma admitted, a sheepish glint in her eyes and Henry eyed her hopefully but she shook her head immediately, “We still don't know how to get your mom back. But Gold promised to keep looking. The good news is that he thinks there is a way to create something...a link between worlds. So we can at least talk to Regina.”

Henry beamed at the news.  
It wasn't perfect but it was something.  
It was a start.  
He'd take it.

“How are we going to do that?”, he looked at Emma curiously, sure that he probably wouldn't like the answer.

Emma sighed, “We need my parents' help.”

He thought about it for a moment before it dawned on him, ever the clever boy, “Because they share True Love.”

“Yes,” Emma gave him a small smile.   
Henry was so much like Regina, she could barely look at him at times because she missed her so much.   
Craved her in a way she hadn't noticed before but Emma was sure that it had always been there.  
God, how stupid and blind she had been.

“I'll do whatever it takes to get her back. I promise you”, Emma squeezed Henry's hand in reassurance, who squeezed hers right back, “I know. You finally figured it out.”

Emma looked taken aback, “What do you mean?”

“That it's mom, not Hook. That it's been mom all along.”  
\-------------------------------------------------

Regina was sitting in the corner of her bedroom, knees pulled against her chest, weeping.  
The silence was deafening but heavy in a way that she felt as if it would bury her alive.

The soul of a mother carrying a baby had arrived in the Underworld earlier.  
Murdered by an abusive husband.  
She had clung to her child, crying angry tears, while she had tried to figure out what her unfinished business was.

Regina couldn't take it.  
How could you rule the Underworld without going mad?   
The rules of this place couldn't be broken.  
Everything down here was so unforgiving and final.  
How should she keep her sanity in this realm?

The Evil Queen would have reveled in this but she wasn't that person anymore, now was she?

_You could be again. You could rule with an iron fist once more._

Regina's eyes grew wide when she heard her mind whisper, feeding the darkness within her heart.  
No!  
It could never happen.  
\-------------------------------------

Emma had known that she couldn't put off talking to her parents any longer.  
They were back in Storybrooke for a week now and she had to tell them that she needed their help but she dreaded it.  
They had sacrificed so much already, they had missed out so much time with their son once more and it broke her heart.  
Neither of them should have to leave again but if they wanted to have a real shot at this she needed them.

Henry was visiting Zelena and baby Robyn because Emma had told him that she wanted to talk to her parents alone. He hadn't been happy about it at first but had understood eventually.  
This was about more than “just” going back to the Underworld.

Zelena, a lot more reasonable ever since they had returned to Storybrooke, had given Emma her word that she would help in any way she could and Emma had caught the sincerity in Zelena's eyes.

She was standing in front of her parents' house and knocked with shaking hands.  
Her mother pulled the door open, Neal on her hip, and smiled brightly, “Emma! It's so good to see you.”

They entered the house together and Emma caught sight of her father sitting on the couch in the living room, reading a file report about some vandalism in town.

“How are you, honey?”, Snow asked when she noticed how exhausted and haunted her daughter looked.  
She knew that Emma had a hard time accepting Regina's choice because truth be told, Snow herself missed Regina more than she would ever readily admit.  
Who would have thought?

“I'm...,” Emma was about to say fine but decided that she was done lying, “I'm not okay. I can't sleep. I...”

“Oh, Emma," Snow handed the toddler to her husband and pulled her daughter into a tight hug that Emma hesitantly accepted.

“It's only another week," Emma added, trying to convince herself that the days weren't dragging the way they were, “A week and then we'll go back.”

Snow nodded in understanding, “Are there any news in regards to communication?”

“There are," Emma admitted and dropped her gaze.  
It wasn't fair.

“Well?”, David eyed his daughter expectantly.

Emma ran her fingers through her hair before she pinched the bridge of her nose, “Listen. There is really no easy way to say this...but,” she took a deep breath, “I need one of you to go back to the Underworld with me.”

She saw two sets of eyes grow wide in horror while her little brother brabbled something neither of them understood.

“I know, okay?", Emma sounded absolutely defeated, “I know that it sucks. But we need you. Your love has to link whatever it is Gold wants to create together with Zelena. They will use their magic here and Regina and I will do the rest in Underbrooke. But I need one of you to come with me. I'm sorry.”

Neither of them said anything for a long while but Emma couldn't stand the silence in the end, “I'm sorry I have to ask this of you. It's just for the weekend. Then we have to come back anyway. We have to do this until I'll find a way to get her back for good.”

“Emma,” David hated to be the bearer of bad news, “What if you can't? What if there is no way back for Regina. The Underworld is different.”

Emma stood tall, unyielding confidence in her voice, her eyes burning with determination, “Regina won't stay down there and if it's the last thing I do. She'll come back to me. I'll do whatever it takes.”

At that moment Snow saw Emma's determination for what it was.  
Love.

Emma loved Regina, loved her former nemesis, the same way she loved her husband.  
It was the type of love fairytales were made of – unconditional and unwavering, all-consuming.  
A love that would require many sacrifices along the way.

She stepped forward and squeezed Emma's hand, aware of what she had to do. What she would always do.  
For Emma.  
And for Regina too if she was honest.

“It's okay, honey. I'm coming with you.”


End file.
